Pages

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tech Tuesday: slightly NSFW rambling edition

I'm really tired because of extra sleep that I haven't been getting needed to patch up far faster than most other people. So I'm mostly not going to bother trying to pick out a theme.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/25/oscar-cat-artifical-paws-pioneering-surgery Kitty loses hind paws. Kitty gets fancy new prosthetics that mount to the bone and have the skin grow over the base of them to seal them in place, instead of having strap-on peglegs. I imagine this'll be how a lot of prosthetic limbs work, you get a permanent bone mount that they click onto, so there's no pain from putting pressure on your stump, the bones just carry the weight as they're supposed to. This'll be really handy with future mind-linked prosthetics.

.... I could have sworn I had more lined up than that.

I guess not, and I can't be bothered to go look for more, so here's some rambling on Simsense based on a discussion I had with a friend recently.

Simsense is artificially inducing sensory information; simulated senses. Usually it's found in things like Cyberpunk that aren't all grim darkness, all the time. Go to a movie, and if you've got the prerequisite implant or fancy brain-interface hat, you'll get a muted version of what the heroes are smelling on screen, or feel the wind or heat of the flames or chill of the rain. We actually HAVE simsense. A few tech tuesday's back, I discussed a new prototype prosthetic hand that had touch capability, and was reported by the user as being nearly the same as the real deal. It may be in its infancy, but it exists. If we have sensors that can pass on sensory info to the brain, with programming you can spoof those sensors and make simulated senses.

And I can basically guarantee that if it hits anything resembling widespread and usable without brain surgery, it'll be the porn industry that makes it take off. Think about it; Once things are understood well enough, it allows a LOT of possibilities for the porn industry. Try out what it feels like to have parts you aren't equipped with, feel like you're really there (no, REALLY really there!) with your favorite film star, play with your special someone's special places from anywhere with web access, things like that.

Sure, it'll get used right along with the Occulus rift and surround sound to make ever better, more immersive games (What I wouldn't give to have at least SOME sense of where and how I'm taking hits. Vests and stuff exist that can sort of do it, but they're loud and not at all precise and require you be wired in and stuff). But it'll be the porn industry who's there with the dollars to keep pushing the technology along at the.... leaking... edge.